Critical Chaos

Critical Chaos is a turn-based RPG set in the world of Statera, a land already at war when strange events begin to unfold. An expanding empire is taking cities by force, monsters roam previously safe roads, ancient powers are stirring and time itself has begun to fracture. The story follows a middle-aged former martial artist who sets out to find a missing loved one, and centres on a cast of flawed characters described as family members, veterans, warriors and outcasts. The game draws on the design of SNES and original PlayStation RPGs, with a main story of over 40 hours followed by a postgame and a questline leading to a true ending.

Combat is turn-based, and enemies are visible on the map rather than triggered as random battles, so each encounter can be avoided or prepared for. Systems include turn-order management, counters, taunts, shield blocking, stealing equipment from enemies and exploiting weaknesses. Party members are customised through Class changes, subclassing, stat investment, Talents, Essences, Ikons and cross-Class skill progression, allowing for specialist, balanced or unconventional team compositions. Choices made during the adventure accumulate and lead to multiple endings, with hidden paths altering what the player discovers.

Exploration features jumping, swimming, climbing puzzles, vehicles, hidden locations and temporal content, and the developer states that the world is designed to be explored without relying on quest markers. Optional content includes hidden quests, secret areas, optional bosses and superbosses, and there is a largely optional crafting system covering mining, fishing, farming, foraging, smithing and cooking. Tutorials are optional and are stored in a Mindscape menu, and the game has full controller support with editable keyboard and controller settings. The developer, a career military veteran, notes that the game’s depiction of military tactics and leadership draws on personal experience. A free demo is available.